Web cutting mechanism for printing machines



Jan. 14, 1936.

lA. M. ZUCKERMAN WEB UTTING MECHANISM FOR ERINTING MACHINES Filed April 20, 1932 2 streets-Sheet 1 f lNvl-:N'roR W IIMJU-L-I Jan. 14, 1936..

WEB CUTTING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES FIG.3.-

- F'IG.4.-

A. M. zucKERM AN 2,027,412

Filed April 20, 1932 2 SheetS-Sheet 2' v3 ao a I za I 31 w i 24 nNvEN-roR..

WL. M

Patezited Jan. 14, 1936 PATENT OFFICE I WEB oU'rTIG MECHAN'ISM roa rnm'rrNG momNEs Adolph M. 'Zuckermam New York, N. Y., asslgnor to R. Hoe & Co., Inc., New York, N. Y., a cor- J poration of New York; Irving Trust Company,

permanent trustee vpplication April 20, 1932, Serial No. 606,387

V 16 Claims. (Cl. 270-32) This 'invention relatesv to improvements in i mechanism for cutting printed webs as they are running from a rotary printing machine and is particularly applicable to products such as magazines, pamphlets, catalogues and booklets, all of which should be produced quickly and economically, and to this end the machine should operate at full speed.

g a running web.

This invention enables two entirely different and independent magazines, or similar products, of dissimilar page sizes, to be printed atone time on the form cylinders, and each of their webs cut successively into sheets or signatures of differing lengths proper for each product.

In order to properly accomplish this it should be understood that the forms for each different -magazine or signature are grouped successively around the form cylinder. By reason of this construction, one machine can substantially simultaneously supply sheets of dissimilar sizes for diiferent magazines and can thus do the work which formerly required a plurality of machines, and this is a valuable feature as willbe readily understood. i

It is also an object 'of this invention to provide web 'cutting and folding means adapted to furnish, during the same runf sheets of diiferent sizes, the mechanism for which is of gener'aily improved construction, simple, durable, and in-y expensive, as well as convenient, practical, serviceable and efiicient in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

' which will appear as the description proceeds, the

invention resides in the combination and arrangemeht of parts, and in the details of construction 'hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various 'changes in'the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed-withJ out departing from the spirit of the invention,

vat the ends of the cutting cylinders in the direction of their axes;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic elevation at right angles to the view of Figure l. looking in the direction of the arrow 2;

Figure' 3 is a more detalled end elevation of a pair of cutting cylinders with their knives and other mechanism in position to alternately cut sheets of different lengths, and l Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure`3 but with the knives positioned tosuccessively cut sheets of the same lengths;

By means of this invention, a running web can be successively cut into sheets of different lengths as hereinbefore mentioned but for convenience of illustration the cutting cylinders are shown as arranged for only two lengths.

The cutting cylinders may be made of diameters proportional to that of the form cylinders,

and by arranging the severing means thereon at different locations, various lengths of sheets and combinations thereof 'can be cut from a running web, las will be readily understood by one skilled in| this art. i

Referring now to the characters of reference on the /drawings:-

The mechanism is provided with a main frame indicated as I, which -as viewed in Figure 1 is on the far side and in this view the corresponding main frame |2 is removed from the front side for the sake of clearness ofillustration. Another frame |3 is provided which may be independent or secured to the frames and I 2 as preferred.

A wide web W is forwarded in the direction of the arrow and is slit by the rotary shea'rs 15 and w thence pass around the various guide rollers l'l, 40'

pair of cutting cylinders; the one'on the right hand side of Figure 1 is indicated as 24 and its companion cutting cylinder is indicated as 3|. The Cutting cylinder 2| is mounted on the-shaft h25 and is adapteddo be rotated about its axis and is geared to thev other cuttinig cylinder 3| and thus arranged 'to move synchronously therewith so'that 'the knives and cutting abutments will register properly to isever the ribbons W'.

' The cutting cylinder 24 lsprovided with` a knife 26 which is mounted in the usual cutter holder in the form ,of cheel: blocks secured in the recess 21. IAnother recess 28 is provided in which the knife 26 may be mounted to cut sheets of other lengths than those of the arrangement just mentioned and illustrated in Figure 3.

ATl'e cutting cylinder 2| is also provided with the usual cutting abutment 29 and the customary impaling or collecting pins 30 which are operated in the usual manner by a rocker arm and cams. The other companion cutting cylinder 3| is rotatably secured on the shaft 32 and, as shown in Figure 3, is similarly provided with a knife 23 mounted in the recess 3|, while another recess I! is provided to receive it when tlhe arrangement shown in Figure 'i is desired.

This cutting cylinder 3| also has the customary cutting abutment II and impaling pins 31, similar to those on cylinder 24;'all of fwhich operate in the usual manner to assist in severing the web and to carry the cut sheets or signatures to the forwarding rolls 3| and 39 which assist in further advancing them.

`As shown in Figures 1 and 2 the short sheets or signatures cut by this invention are indicated as 4| and the long ones are indicated as 40, while in Figure 4 these severed portions one of which is lindicated as E and the next one which will follow the path indicated by the broken line E'`l are all of the same length, by reason of the equally spaced arrangement of the cutters on thecutting cylinders as illustratedl in this last'named figure..

As illustrated in Figure 3 the longer cut sheet is indicated as lli and the path of the next sheet H is indicated, by the brokenxline ll'. Feedv roller 42 and a co-operating drop roller ll are 'shown in Figure-l which aid in the delivery of the longer sheets or signatures ll to the chopper bladefolder having a blade ll adapted to tuck these between the folding rollers 41 which fold them longitudinally and `deliver' them to the packer box ll.

After passing between the forwarding roll Il. and the cutting cylinder 2| the shorter sheets or signatures ll are advanced by the 'feed roller u and`its companion drop roller 4| to`a similar chopper blade folder provided with the blade 4| /and folding rollers 'I which complete-the longitudinal folds and deliver the sheets to the packer.

'box 5|, which/ as illustrated, is so adJusted as to provide a smaller space in order to receive and support a vplurality of such shorter sheets in position-as indicated in the drawings.

As shown in Il'igure 3 the' cutting cylinders 2|' and ll have their knives and cutting abutments closer together when measured circumferentially on oneside of the center and further apart on the other side. This, adapts them to alternately cut sheets of different lengths and in the case 'Illus- -trated in Figure 3,. one shorter sheet may be three 'pages long and the next sheet will be Iour' signatures in length, ss the cutters vare so spaced in this view as to produce such, although other spacing may be used. The arrangement of cuttersshown in Fisure 4 will` however, produce sheets of equal lengths as will be- 'readily understood- It has o/nly been possible with prior machines sever the running web into sheets or signatures of uniform lengths, whereas by means of this inventlon a machine can stilldo this and in addition it also' alternately cut la running web into sheets of different lengths, and, in order to taneous production on one machine of two magazines of different sizes. r

In order to properly accomplish this it is essential to make the sum of the lengths of the shorter are required of two sizes, one of nine by thirteen 10 inches, and the other nine by eleven inches,- to be printed on a rptary press with form cylinders forty-eight inches in circumference on the printing faces of the type or plates. The web is seventy-two inches wide and this is slit into four 15 ribbons each eighteen inches wide, These ribbons are forwarded, juxtaposed and cut alternately by cutting cylinders of about twenty-four inches in circumference, into sheets or signatures eleven and thirteen inches long respectively.

These sheets are thence forwarded alternately to two different folding mechanisms which double or fold them longitudinally to make the signatures nine inches in width, after which those of each length are delivered to a separate packer za .taposed as they pass between thel nipping or propelling rollers 22 and 23.

Theassociated ribbons are then advanced into the bite of the cutting cylin ers 2| and Il which 1 are rotated in. timed relati` As illustrated in Figure 3 the knife II severs them'in co-operation with the cutting abutment 2| and the continuation of the movement .brings the knife 2|.

' ducing a long sheet or signature 0 as the cir'- cumferential distance between the knlfe 3| and the cutting. abutment 3| as measured around4` the lower portion of ,the cylinder 3| is greater than the upper arc between themv as illustrated i Figure 3. This, therefore, altemately produces long and short signatures. w

i A8 the operation continues the forward margins of each sheet or signature are impaled upon the collecting pins Ilor 31 as the case may be, and are thence around their respective cylinders and are alternately delivered to the right and left, that is, `the short lengths are delivered to the right between the cutting cylinder 2| and the forwarding roll 3| while` the longer sheets or signatures are delivered to the left be- 'tween the cutting cylinder 3| and the forwardw ing roll 18. v r

Referring now to the shorter signatures, these .are further advanced by' the driven feed roller 4| .in co-operation with\the. drop roller and pass thence between the chopper folder blade ll and atpair of folding rolls ll. The revolution of ,the folder blade ll tucks the cut' webb or sheet llv centrally and longitudinally between the pair 01' mam; rouflo ma it 18 thence ueuvered mt'o the packer'box li which is arranged to receive 'a group'of the shorter folded hold 75 .should be understood thatjany other form of folding or other mechanism therefor may be used for further operation after the eutting is accomplished.

This'invention will enable a machine to produce, during the same interval of time, magazines or equivalents of two different sizes, which thus conduces to economy and facility of operation.

The machine can also produce cut sheets which are all of the same lengths, so .that by means of this invention it is capable ofwdual uses.

VVhat I claim is:

1. In a mechanism. for cutting a running web,

means for severing it, in transit, into sheets of unequal lengths and full width of the web engaged by the said severing means, and means for forwarding-the cut sheets of each length directly from the sev'ering means to a different i destination.

2. In a mechanism 'for cutting a running web,

. means'for successively severing it, in transit, in-

to sheets of longer and shorter lengths and full width of the web .engaged by the said severing means, and means for forwarding the cut sheets of each length directly from the severing means to a different destination.

'3. In a mechanism for cutting a running web,

means for alternately severing it, in transit, into sheets of unequal but predetermined lengths and full width of the web engaged by the said severing means, 'and means for separately adsevering means to a different destination.

`4. In a mechanism, of the'character deseribed,`

means for advancing a web, means for severing it in transit into longer and shorter sheets having widths equal to the full width of the web engaged by the said severing means, means for forwarding the cut sheets of each length directly from the severing means to different destinations, and means 'for grouping the cut sheets at said clestinations. c

5. In a web cutting mechanism, means for advancing a web, means for successively severing it in transit into longerand shorter sheets of prdetermined lengths and full width of the web engaged by the said severing means, means for fclding the cut sheets, and means for forwarding the sheets of each length' directly from the severing means to separate -folding means.

6. In a. web cutting mechanism, means for advancing a web, means for successively severing it in transit into longer and shorter sheets of predetermined lengths and full width of the. web engaged by the said severing means, means for longitudinally folding the cut sheets, means for selectively forwarding sheets of each length to separate folding means, and meansfor assembling into separate groups 'the sheets of each length. I V

7. In amechanism of the character described, means for` slitting a wide running web into a plurality of ribbons, means for advancing and juxtaposing said ribbons, means for successively severing them in, transit 'entirely across their width into. multiple sheets of unequal lengths, and

means .for forwarding the sheets of each length directly from the severing means to different destinations;

ceiving recesses spaced 8. In a mechanism means for longitudinally slitting a wide running webi'into a plurality of ribbons of equal width,-

means for advancing and juxtaposing saidribbons, means for successively severing' them'in transit, to form cut sheets of unequal lengths and full width of the ribbons,- and means for 'forwarding the sheets of each length directly from the severing means to separate destinations. 9. In a mechanism of the character described, means for slitting a wide running web ,into a plurality of ribbons, means for advancing and juxtaposing said ribbons, means for successively severing them in transit to provide sheets of ,unequal lengths and full 'width of the web engaged by the said severing means, mean's for folding the cut sheets, and means for forwarding the sheets of each length directly from the severing means to a separate destination.

10. In a mechanism of the character described, means for slitting a wide rlinning web into a plurality of ribbons of uniforin width, means for. advancing and juxtaposing said ribbons, means for successively severing them in transit to provide sheets of unequal lengths and full width of the web engaged by the said severing means, and means for selectively advancingthe cut sheets of each length directly from the severing means to a separate folder and assembly mechanism.

11. In a mechanism of the character described, means for forwarding a web, -a pair of rotating opposed cutting cylinders adapted to receive it,

ofthe character described;

cutting elements' on each 'cylinder arranged at unequal distances apart circumferentially thereof, each'adapted to co-act with a mating element on the other cylinder, whereby said Web is cutv successively into sheets of different-lengths, means adapted to forward the shorter sheets` directly lfrom the cutting cylinders to one destination and the longer ones lto anotherdestination.

12. In a mechanism of 'the character described, means for advancing and for slitting a wide web into a plurality of ribbons, means for positioning said' ribbonsinto face to face relation and for forwarding them to a pair of synchronously rotating opposed cutting cylinders provided with a pluralityof pairs of mutually registerable cutting elements spaced at unequal distances circumferentially thereof and adapted to successively cut said multiple ribbons into sheets of unequalvv lengths, and means adapted to selectively for- Ward the longer cut sheets directly from the I cutting cylinders to one destination and the chronously rotating` opposed cutting cylinders provided with a plurality of pairs of mutually registerable cutting elements spacedat unequal distances apart circumferentially thereof and adapted to successively cut said'multiple ribbons i into sheetsiof unequal lengths, separate folders,

means adapted, to direct the longer 'cut sheets 'directly from the cutting cylinders to a folder and means adapted to direct the shorter cut sheets directly from the cutting cylinder to another folder, the folders adapted to deliver sheets of each length to a separate packer box.

14. In a mechanismfor cutting a running web, cooperating cutting cylinders, each cylinder having a cutting abutment 'and separate cutter-redifferent distances from the cutting abutment around the periphery of the cylinder, and a cutter secured in either cutterreceiving recess and adapted to cooperate with the cutting abutment on the opposed cylinder to cut sheets of a given length when positioned in one cutter-receiving recess and to cut sheets of a diil'erent length when positioned in another cutter-receiving recess.

15. In a mechanism tor cutting a running web, cooperating cutting cylinders, a cutting abutment supported by each cylinder, and a cutter securable in two positions on each cylinder and adapted to cooperate with the cutting abutment oi the opposed cylinderI` to cut a sheet of one length when secured .in one position on the cylinder and to cooperate with the said abutment to.

spamu cut a sheet of a diflerent length when secured in another position on the cylinder.

16. In a mechanism tor cutting a running web, cooperating cutting cylinders, each cylinder having separate cutter-receiving recesses and an l abutment-receiving recess, an abutment positionledl in the abutxnent-receiving recess of each cylinder, and a cutter positioned in a cutter-revceiving recess o! each cylinder and adapted to ADOLPH M. ZU CKERMAN. 

